VIENNA/NEW YORK, 4 May — A high-level event with prominent experts from the field of development discussing how evaluation can contribute to eradicating poverty, will take place at the United Nations in Vienna, as part of the UN Evaluation Group’s annual meeting.

Globally, nearly 700 million people are still living on less than US$1.90 a day, many lacking access to adequate food, clean drinking water and sanitation. Since the 1990's, approx. 1.1 billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty and the proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions has fallen by almost half. Despite these achievements, much remains to be accomplished. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) renews the international community’s resolve to combat global poverty and ensure inclusive prosperity, and also binds all countries to a bold commitment to end poverty by 2030.

Eradicating poverty in all its forms remains one of the greatest challenges facing humanity and panellists at the high-level event will discuss the critical role of the follow-up and assessment of the sustainable development goals in advancing shared prosperity. Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Dazhu Yang, Deputy-Director General for Technical Cooperation, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Marco Segone, UNEG Chair; Director, UN Women Independent Evaluation Office will welcome panellists and participants. The President of the UN General Assembly, Peter Thomson, will deliver the opening remarks (by video message). Panellists will include David Muchoki Kanja, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services; Natalia Nikitenko, Member of Parliament, Kyrgyzstan and Global Parliamentarian Forum for Evaluation; Per Øyvind Bastøe, Director of Evaluation, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and Chair of OECD/DAC Evaluation Network; and Ziad Moussa, President, International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation & Co-Chair of EvalPartners.

The United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) is dedicating its annual Evaluation Week, taking place in Vienna from 15 to 19 May, to the role of evaluation in Eradicating Poverty and Promoting Prosperity in a Changing World, as part of its work to support and intensify momentum towards attaining the SDGs. UNEG, an interagency professional network brings together more than 47 members from the evaluation units of the UN system, specialized agencies, funds and programmes, and affiliated organizations with a mission to share and exchange knowledge, innovations, best practices and lessons.

The High-Level Event will be organized in partnership with the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The high-level event will be open to a broad range of stakeholders including international organizations, governmental organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, philanthropic organizations, the evaluation community and other actors.

Evidence and data from evaluations is essential to better inform, direct and strengthen SDG efforts and interventions. Assessments of what is working, for whom, and under what conditions can accelerate progress to eradicate poverty, promote prosperity and leave no one behind.